Filmon Ghirmai

Filmon Ghirmai, or “Fili” as the Germans nicknamed him, is Germany’s best 3000 metre steeplechase athlete with origins in Eritrea.

Like many of his colleagues in the athletic sports world Filmon has to keep the balance between being a professional athlete, employee and entrepreneur.

By the age of 17 Filmon used already to draw media attention, because he was perceived as one of the young hopefuls for the national athletic sport.

The 30 year old sprinter was born in Eritrea and knows how it is, having to meet all expectations without loosing a single smile.

In 2007, he sprinted to victory during the European Cup in Athletics in Munich. Early this year he won the 10000 meters as an underdog in a smaller competition, leading to the German Championship in Athletics this summer.

Filmon is always aiming to remain free and independent in what he is doing. No one knows better than Filmon Ghirmai himself, that this sometimes is the tougher road to go for the price of greater freedom.

Intending to keep his career options balanced and free, with a business degree and a half day job at a German company, “Fili” became a one-man corporation.

For many years he used to be trained and managed by Dieter Bauman, who is a former middle- distance runner and Olympic champion from Germany. There is an athletic profile of Filmon Ghirmai at the home page of the German Athletics Federation.

Today the Eritrean born sprinter is his own manager and aiming to qualify for the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics 2009 in Berlin. Therefore, he has to run the steeplechase in 8:23 minutes during the German Championships in Athletics in the beginning of July.

The preparations for these competitions are to 95% done by Filmon himself without any third party coaching. This can mean more than just physical preparations, since someone also has to deal with the commercial management of issues related to such competitions.

As a one-man show, the athlete has to take care of public relation and marketing of his brand, in order to assure that funds and sponsors are coming in.

This has become a very difficult task, especially in times of a financial downturn, such as face right know. So far he has found Asics shoe manufacturer and a local mineral water company as his sponsors. However, Filmon Ghirmai knows that he would not have to worry about sponsors anymore, if he should qualify for the World Championship in Berlin.

Moreover, he seems to have the survival instinct of an Eritrean, because people who know “Fili” say; “If he makes it to Berlin, he will definitely aim for the 2012 Olympics in London.”.